Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

From Pet Encyclopedia

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Origin of Breed

England

Breed Nick Names

Cav, Cavie

[edit] Introduction

If you think that the Cavalier King Charles is just a lap dog... think again. He can be sporty and agile and certainly wants to be part of any activity going on.

The Cavalier has little time to make enemies, he’s far too busy making friends and sampling your affection. If you want a guard dog, look again, the CKCS will certainly greet an intruder with plenty of noise... but his rear will be wagging in anticipation of a cuddle! Excellent with children, they love all family activities. As with all breeds of dog, children should be taught to respect the dog as part of the family. As a companion to the solo he really shines, his loyalty, affection and peaceful nature make him the ideal friend.

[edit] Origin and History

For many centuries, small breeds of spaniels have been popular in the United Kingdom. Some centuries later, Toy Spaniels became popular as pets, especially as pets of the royal family. In fact, the King Charles Spaniel was so named because a Blenheim-coated spaniel was the children's pet in the household of Charles I. Over time, the toy spaniels were replaced in popularity by short-snouted, dome-headed dogs such as the Pug and Japanese Chin. The King Charles Spaniel was bred with these dogs, resulting in the similar-shaped head of today's English Toy Spaniel breed. The King Charles Spaniel remained popular at Blenheim Palace, home to the Dukes of Marlborough, where the brown and white version was the most popular - resulting in the name Blenheim for that color combination.

In the 1920s, an American named Roswell Eldrige offered twenty-five pounds as a prize for any King Charles Spaniel "of the old-fashioned type" with a longer nose, flat skull, and a lozenge. So, the breed was developed by selective breeding of short-snouted Spaniels. The result was a dog that resembled the boyhood pet of Charles II of England ("Cavalier King Charles"), hence the name of the breed

[edit] Appearance

All dogs recognized by the Kennel Club have a Breed Standard which is a useful guide when looking for a puppy. The standard is the perfection to which every breeder tries to aim and no dog born has all the points mentioned. It is quite comprehensive so please read it and compare litters to the standard as you view them, remember the standard is for a fully grown adult dog.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Active, graceful and well balanced, with gentle expression.

CHARACTERISTICS: Sporting, affectionate, absolutely fearless.

TEMPERAMENT: Gay, friendly, non-aggressive, no tendency towards nervousness.

HEAD & SKULL: Skull almost flat between ears. Stop shallow. Length from base of stop to tip of nose about 1 1/2 inches. Nostrils black and well developed without flesh marks, muzzle well tapered. Lips well developed but not pendulous. Face well filled below eyes. Any tendency to snipiness undesirable.

EYES: Large, dark, round but not prominent; spaced well apart.

EARS: Long, set high, with plenty of feather.

MOUTH: Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

NECK: Moderate length, slightly arched.

FOREQUARTERS: Chest moderate, shoulders well laid back, straight legs moderately boned.

BODY: Short coupled with good spring of rib. Level back.

HINDQUARTERS: Legs with moderate bone; well turned stifle - no tendency to cow or sickle hocks.

FEET: Compact, cushioned and well feathered.

TAIL: Length of tail in balance with body, well set on, carried happily but never much above the level of the back. Docking optional. If docked no more than one third to be removed.

GAIT: Free moving and elegant in action, plenty of drive from behind. Fore and hind legs move parallel when viewed from in front and behind.

COAT: Long, silky, free from curl. Slight wave permissible. Plenty of feathering. Totally free from trimming.

COLOURS: Recognized colours are:

Black & Tan: Raven black with tan markings above the eyes, on cheeks, inside ears, on chest and legs and underside of tail. Tan should be bright. White marks undesirable.

Ruby: Whole colour rich red. White marks undesirable.

Blenheim: Rich chestnut markings well broken up, on pearly white background. Markings evenly divided on head, leaving room between ears for much valued lozenge mark or spot (a unique characteristic of the breed).

Tricolour: Black and white well spaced, broken up, with tan markings over eyes, cheeks, inside ears, inside legs, and on underside of tail.

Any other colour or combination of colours most undesirable.

WEIGHT & SIZE: Weight - twelve to eighteen pounds. A small well-balanced dog well within these weights desirable.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

[edit] Temperament

Gay, friendly, non-aggressive, no tendency to nervousness.

[edit] Health

Cavaliers can suffer from the following:

MVD (Mitral Valve Disease) MVD is a degeneration of the heart's mitral valve, one of four sets of valves in a dog's heart. As the mitral valve degenerates, the valve no longer fully closes after each pumping action, allowing some blood to flow backwards through them from the ventricle back into the atrium. As the condition worsens, more and more blood is able to backflow through the valve. In the final stages, the valve’s struts sometimes break, causing the valve to collapse completely.

Retinal Dysplasia and Hereditary Cataract Can only be diagnosed by a veterinary opthalmologist who will certify dogs that have been examined under the KC/BVA Eye Scheme.

Syringomyelia

A disorder where a cyst or herniation known as a syrinx forms within the spinal cord causing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid to become obstructed and accumulate. Common symptoms of this condition are hypersensitivity around the neck and shoulders causing an uncontrollable urge to scratch in that area. There is quite often accompanying pain and discomfort in the neck and ear areas. Diagnosis may be both clinical and through use of an MRI unit. Treatments may include the use of steroids, decompression surgery or installation of a shunt.

[edit] External Links

www.thecavalierclub.co.uk

www.cavaliers.co.uk

[edit] References